Combinator head or homogenizer



` MalCll 3, J, MARCO v COMBINATORHEAD ORHOMOGENIZER Filed July 29. 41959 www Patented Mar. 3, 1942 UNITEDl ASTATES PATENT.-()l"`FlCl51,l

John Marco, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor 'to Marco Company, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania.

Application my 29, 1939, serial No. zsmzz 3 claims. (ci. 252-359) This invention relates to new and useful im' provements in homogenizer or emulsor rvalves and is particularly applicable to the pump and homogenizer structure illustrated in my pending application Serial No. 235,509 and interchangeable with parts and structure illustrated in my co-pending applications Serial Numbers 271,785 and 271,786, titled, respectively, Grinder and emulsor valve and Grinder, disintegrator, emulsor or the like, it being the primary object of the invention to provide a simple and eflicient'structure for the homogenization or emulsiilcation of certain materials.

One of the essential objects of the invention resides in the provision of an improved homogenizing valve, self-alining with respect to its seat and which is non-rotatable when effectively positioned.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of an homogenizing construction in which material is fed through the medium of a spiral shaft to an homogenizer valve firmly seated with means on the seat cooperating with portions-of the valve to spray the material being treated in the homogeniz'ing chamber.

A still further object of the invention-resides in providing a seat for the homogenizer valve provided with an annular groove so arranged with respect to the homogenizer valve, provided in turn with an oiset adjacent the eiective end thereof, as to cause material fed. through the valve to contact the walls of said groove and oilset and be sprayed into the homogenizing chamber. i,

A still further object resides in providing a structure which is capable of ready and simple adjustment or assembly, as well as disassembly, to be interchangeable with parts used on my improvedpump structure as illustrated in copending application Serial No. 235,509, as aforesaid, according to the particular material or materials being treated, and a further object resides in the provision of -a device which is simple and durable in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and extremely emcient in use.

With these and numerous other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, 1

Figure 1 is a vertical section through my improved emulsor or homogenizer structure attached to a pump, with parts of the latter being shown in elevation,

Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof with parts broken away and parts in section, and

Figure 3 is a side elevation of my complete pump structure with this improved emulsor or homogenizing structure applied thereto.

In`my copending application Serial No. 235,509, I have shown a combined pump and homogenizer construction and in my copending application Serial Numbers 271,785 and 271,786, I have shown various types of grinders and emulsors or disintegrators for interchangeable use in vconnection with said pump structure, according to the materials being treated or the results desired. AMy present application contemplates a new and improved emulsor or homogenizer' valve construction capable of interchangeable connection with the pump structure shown in my copending applications aforesaid. 'I'h'is particular type of homogenizer or emulsor valve structure is used when certain particular materials are being treated and certain results desired.

In describing the device, I shall refer to the drawing in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and in which the numeral I designates generally the forward end of a pump structure, the details of which are immaterial insofar as this present invention is concerned, since the same is fully described andcovered in one of the aforesaid pending applications. For convenience, however, I may state that the numeral 2 designates a rotor housing to which is applied a header plate 3 over which is applied the cover plate 4, all of the parts being secured to the pump body by means of the stud bolts 5.

The cover plate 4 is provided with a tubular axial extension 8 which terminates in an outer head plate or disk 1 and projecting through said portions 6 and 1 to a point beyond the outer face of the latter is a shaft 8 provided withthe spiral grooves 8,.through the medium of which the material being treated is fed from the pump structure to the homogenizer or emulsor structure. Up to this point, it will beseen that the structure is quite similar or the same as that shown and described in my copending `application for Grinder, disintegrator, emulsor or the like, Serial No. 271,786, but from this structure on, there is a slight difference, the parts being interchangeable with those used in the aforesaid copending application.

Applied to the outer faceof the outer head I plate I of the cover plate is -a plate I0 which I designate as the homogenizer seat plate. the same being provided with a hollow extension II into which extends the outer end of the feed shaft 8. This hollow extension II is provided vwith an internal annular ange I2 leaving at the end of the extension a restricted opening I3 through which the materials being treated are fed from the shaft 8. The outer face of this ange I2 constitutes a seat proper for my improved homogenizer valve and said face is provided with an annular groove I4. Abutting the homogenizer valve seat is the homogenizer nor emulsor valve I5 which is a solid substantially cylindrical element provided at its effective end with a central conical extension I6 entering the opening I3 of the valve seat. The conical extension I8 at its base is somewhat grooved as shown at I1 so that the materials fed against the coneshaped portion may be directed arcuately between the faces of the valve and the seat proper. The outer periphery of the valve I5, at its effective end, is offset to provide a shoulder- Il l and this shoulder is curved or arcuately formed at its inner end. The effective end of the valve Il has its diameter just greater than the inner diameter of the groove I4 of the valve seat and the curved portion of the shoulder I8 of the valve is opposite the annular groove I4 so that as the material being treated is fed between the valve and the valve seat proper, the same is caused to enter the annular groove I4 and is directed arcuately toward the curved portion of the shoulder I8 and in turn sprayed from the latter into the homogenizing chamber which, for convenience, I have designated I9.

Applied to the homogenizer seat plate I0 and surrounding the homogenizer valve and seat proper is the housing 20 -which forms the homogenizer chamber which` is provided with the outlet port 22. The inlet through which material is fed to the pump is shown at 2|.

Applied to the outer face of the housing 20 is a seal plate 23 to whichis in turn applied the cover plate 24, all of these parts, including the homogenizer seat plate I0 being securedv to the outer head plate 1 through the medium of the stud bolts 25. Between the seal plate 23 and cover plate 24 at the inner periphery thereof, is the seal 26, which surrounds the substantially cylindrical homogenizer valve I5.

The cover plate 24 is valso provided with a tubular extension 21 through which the homogenizer valve I extends and the outer periphery of said tubular extension at the outer end thereof is threaded to receive the internally threaded portion of an adjusting cap 28. The outer end portion of the homogenizer or emulsor valve I5 is somewhat hollowed out and the innermost walls of the hollowed portion are beveled to form a seat for a self-alining disk or spacer 29. Interposed between the self-alining disk and the inner portion of the cap 28 is a thrust bearing 30 and a hand bar 4I is applied to the outer end of the cap 28 to enable the latter to4 be readily adjusted to proper position to turn on the thrust bearing against the alining disk or spacer 29. 28, thrust bearing 30 and disk 29, the valve I5 becomes self-alining and there is uniform alinement of the valve and seat abutment. No spring tension is required for this valve and the latter will abut snugly to the seat -at all times and effectively carry out the purpose for which the same is designed. The material being treated is obviously homogenized or emulsiiled through Through the medium of this cap its projection between the valve and the seat but further homogenization and emulsification become eiected through the medium of the annular groove and shoulder structure on the seat and valve, respectively, as aforesaid.

A dial 32. is applied to the outer face of the cover plate 24 and a pointer 33 secured to the inner end of the cap 28 for notation of the adjustment of said cap, Just as is shown and described in my copending application Serial No. 271,786.

From the foregoing description of the construction of my improved' device, the operation thereof will be readily understood and it will be seen that I, have provided a comparatively simple, inexpensive and efficient means for carrying out the purposes and objects of the invention. It will be seen that the structure is such that the various'elements may be quickly and readily removed at the will of the operator for purposes of cleansing, as is necessary and required under the law where foods and drugs are being processed.

It will be further seen that the device is capable of interchangeability with parts and structure of the apparatus'in my copending applications, as aforesaid, so that this particular homogenizer valve structure may be used as a1- ternative structure with other homogenizer or disintegrator apparatus used in association with my pump structure now known to the trade.

While I have particularly shown and described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set forth, it will be understood that various changes in form, proportion and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the principles of the invention.

What I claim is: l

l. In an homogenizer structure, a chamber having inlet and outlet means therefor, a valve seat provided with a. passage communicating with said inlet means. a substantially cylindrical valve adapted for abutment with said seat, the outer end of said valve having a cup-shaped recess therein, means for manually adjusting said valve with respect to said seat including a thrust bearing fitting withinl the recess, and an alining disk in the recess interposed between the thrust bearing and the inner end of the recess and cooperating with the thrust bearing and the annular wall of the recess to maintain the valve in alinement with respect to its seat.

2. In an homogenizer structure, a chamber having inlet and outlet means therefor, a valve seat provided with a passage `communicating with said inlet means, means for feeding material to said passage. a valve adapted for abutment with said seat, said valve being substantially cylindrical and having a recessv in the outer end thereof, the walls of said recess having.

tapered inner end portions, means for adjusting said valve with respect to the seat including a thrust bearing snugly received -in the outer portion of the recess, and a tapered disk in the tapered inner portion of the recess abutting the bearing and cooperating with the bearing'and' the walls of the recess to self-aline the valve 1 seating against the valve seat and its outer 4end portion formed with a concentric pocket having a tapered inner end portion and a iiat inner end wall, a tapered disk lling the tapered inner end portion of the pocket and conforming to the taper thereof, a. cap fitting about said sleeve in threaded engagement therewith, and a thrust bearing mounted in the cap concentric thereto and extending into the outer end of the sleeve and snugly iitting within the pocket inflat face to face abutting engagement with the disk.

. JOHN MARCO. 

